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The Twelve Angels
The primary religion in Soleil worships the Twelve Angels; a holy council of angels which created the world and preside over it. The Magi are viewed as the prophets of the Twelve Angels, and their magical abilities are said to be a blessing from the Twelve themselves. The Church of the Crossed Heart are a religious sect who, although worship the Twelve Angels, take their beliefs from their Holy Book and not from The Magi. Church Structure At the head of the church are The Magi, who are said to be the voice of the Twelve Angels Themselves. A council of cardinals presides over the church, each cardinal being responsible for a group of bishops and priests who are assigned to individual districts. Church Practices Every day, mass is held during midday. All businesses close between 12:00pm and 1:00pm. The Angels Each of The 12 Angels have specific areas of life that they rule over, together they rule over almost every aspect of the world. Each Angel is also deemed to be the patron of one of the schools or sub-schools of Magic, gifting it onto those they deem fit. Other than this very little documentation of their activities or roles have been recovered from The Rot. The Priest The Angel of light, devotion and healing and the patron of those gifted with astral adept magic. She is often depicted wearing robes of white silk and gold inlay, carrying a copy of the Holy Book in one hand. She is viewed to be one of the of the most forgiving towards mortals. The Gatekeeper The Angel of beginnings, endings and change, birth, death and transitioning between the two. He is the patron of all those blessed with the magic of an astral caster. He is often depicted in black robes, covering half of his face with a large cowl, and holds either a large ring of keys or a shovel. He is sometimes referred to as the Undertaker or the Gravedigger. The Theurgist Purveyor of knowledge, truth and secrets, the Theurgist is the knower of all but the teller of little. He is the patron of psionic adepts, to whom he grants the secrets of ki. He is depicted in semi-regal robes carrying a number of mystical implements. Most statues have somewhere in which to burn incense, often within one of the mystical objects. The Elder The Angel of wisdom, history and the patron of psionic casters. She is depicted as an old woman with a cane. Many texts tell of her meddling in the affairs of mortals but the validity of these texts has yet to be determined. The Monk Depicted as a tall lean man, the Monk is the patron of those gifted with lightening adept magic. He controls the realms of life, essence and movement. His statues depict him in a number of martial arts poses, often with lightning sparking across his muscles. Many believe that the poses are part of some much larger routine which grants the performer greater knowledge of the physical magic he controls. The Paladin The ruler of war, honour and justice, the paladin controls the outward projection of lightening and as such he is the patron of lightening casters. He is depicted in large plate mail, carrying a large Warhammer. He is suggested to have been quick to temper and proud of his abilities. The Maiden Passion, love and self-control fall under the rule of the Maiden. She is the embodiment of those gifted with the magic of a fire adept: a roaring flame tempered by willpower. She is depicted as a young woman in a dress designed to stand out within the room or painting she is in. The Beast Master of conviction, brutality and ferocity the beast is often as feared as he is revered. He is the Patron of fire casters, gifting them with a unbridled power in need of taming as one would a wild beast. He is often as a man covered in the skin of an animal or the animal itself with flames wreathing the maw of the creature. He is often linked with tails of lycanthropes but even the existence of such creatures is heavily contested. The Architect The Angel of logic, reason and order, the architect plans for all the actions of the pantheon. His rigid and frosty temperament leads him to be the patron of those with ice adept magic. He is often depicted in smart robes or a suit carrying papers and instruments of various mathematical natures. The Craftsmen The shaper of ice, the Craftsman is the patron of ice casters. He has control over the realms of construction and protection..He is said to craft some of the finest of weapons from a form of living ice found in Aetherium. He is depicted as a stocky man in a smither's apron. Later renditions sometimes show him with a cybernetic arm The Father The earth father is depicted as an imposing figure, often dressed in rather plain attire. He is the Angel of strength and power of both mind and body. This stalwartness granted him the position of patron of the earth adepts, granting them capabilities to stand tall as he does. The Mother The queen of nature, growth and the fertility she acts as the patroness of all those who are earth casters. Often depicted wearing clothes made of foliage and carrying a tree as a staff, she is respected by all but a few for her role in the world. Some tried to blame the rot on her becoming corrupted in some manner but this accusation was treated as the highest level of heresy by The Church of the Crossed Heart and was swiftly put an end to.